


Not Unloved Anymore

by Madam_Sunflower



Series: 🦇 BatFam 🦇 [4]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), Batman: The Animated Series, DCU, DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alfred Pennyworth is a Saint, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Alfred Pennyworth's World-Famous Pancakes, Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily (DCU) Bonding, Batfamily (DCU) Feels, Batfamily (DCU) Fluff, Batfamily Angst (DCU), Batfamily Drama (DCU), Batfamily is a Mess (DCU), Batfamily-centric (DCU), Broken Families, Brother Feels, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Brunch, Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, Canon-Typical Violence, Caring Batfamily (DCU), Child Abandonment, Child Neglect, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma, Comfort/Angst, Domestic Batfamily (DCU), Drugged Tim Drake, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Extended Families, Families of Choice, Family, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Good Grandparent Alfred Pennyworth, Good Parent Alfred Pennyworth, Happy Ending, Hurt Tim Drake, Hurt/Comfort, Monthly updates, Neglect, Not Canon Compliant, Other, Past Child Neglect, Protective Batfamily (DCU), Sad Tim Drake, Slow To Update, Slow Updates, Sweet, Team Feels, Team as Family, Tim Drake Angst, Tim Drake Needs Help, Tim Drake Needs Love, Tim Drake Needs a Break, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake is Bad at Self-Care, Tim Drake is Not Okay, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Tim Drake-centric, Truth Serum, Unconventional Families, Worried Batfamily (DCU), hopefully
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:35:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26479588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madam_Sunflower/pseuds/Madam_Sunflower
Summary: After Tim gets hit with a truth serum that forces him to tell the truth happily and with no fear the Batfamily learns something about Tim that they never knew before.Now it's up for them to fix the problem that they only made worse.
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Bruce Wayne, Jack Drake & Janet Drake & Tim Drake, Tim Drake & Alfred Pennyworth, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd
Series: 🦇 BatFam 🦇 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1879627
Comments: 151
Kudos: 947





	1. Unwanted & Unloved

**Author's Note:**

> I think I've said before that my favorite Robin is Tim and that I think he needs much more love then he's given from both the Fandom and from his family. So I made that happen lol!
> 
> An to whoever thinks that a guy can't devour a sandwich in a few minutes I've seen my dad do it, my brother do it, and boyfriend do it. It's a weird thing to see but it happens and considering Tim doesn't have a normal eating schedule he's basically starving every once and a while. Alfred didn't put anything in the tea he gave Tim the tea is simply Chamomile tea which is supposed to help you sleep.
> 
> The truth serum Tim was hit with basically makes one act drunk and everyone knows when some people get drunk they start telling the truth that basically what I played within this story. Tim's not drunk I just wanted to point that out.
> 
> I'm sorry for rambling I just felt there was a lot to explain in this story lol!
> 
> I hope you all stay Blessed and Safe.
> 
> If you wanna go follow me for some strange reason you can find me on Tumblr @paper-sunflower-lane and on Twitter @SunFlower_Paper.
> 
> Please enjoy my work and please comment, leave kudos, and subscribe because I would love to hear from you guys.
> 
> I hope you all have a Blessed morning, noon, night, or whenever you're reading this!
> 
> Hugs & Love: Sunny🌻💛🌞

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim gets hit with a truth serum which makes him say a lot of things that he would never say unless he was drugged.

Tim was giggling as he leaned against Bruce’s leg he was wrapped up in his adoptive father’s cape as his two older brothers and younger brother watched him with wide eyes. None of them had ever seen Tim like this and it was honestly a little unnerving they were used to Tim being calculated and cool a little like Bruce himself so it was strange seeing their brother so… childish.

“So what’s wrong with him?” Jay asked as he pulled his eyes away from Tim to look at the back of Bruce’s head as he typed away on the Bat-Computer.

“They hit him with a drug that makes him appear in a drunken state,” Bruce explained to his second eldest son he stayed fixed on the computer in front of him as he searched for a way to undo the effects of the drug. “In reality, it is a form of truth serum that makes them tell all their secrets happily and without fear,” He further explained this time letting his eyes fall away from the screen to look down at Tim who was still wrapped tightly in his cape and leaning against his leg.

“Wonderful,” Damian said with a sigh, anger, and annoyance clear in his voice as he looked down at his brother who was pulling on his father’s cape trying to curl tighter into the black cloth.

“Well is he going to be okay?” Dick asked as he took a step close towards Bruce and Tim to get a better look at the bat child who upon making eye contact with Dick raised his hand and waved; Dick couldn’t help but smile a little and wave back despite the snickers from their two other brothers.

“According to the sample I was able to obtain he will be fine,” Bruce explained as he looked over the information that was in front of him. “The drug should wear off in a few hours but it is unclear just how long it will take,” He said as he finally turned away from the computer moving in a way where it wouldn’t pull his cape from the Red Robin’s grasp. 

“So we’ve got to deal with a drunken Baby Bird who can’t lie for who knows how long?” Jay asked looking at Tim who was now looking around the Batcave in complete aww as if it was his first time seeing it.

“It appears so,” Bruce said with a nod as he looked at his three other sons who sat and stood before him. Dick stood a little way away from him and Tim, Jason was leaning against one of the machines, and Damian sat cross-legged in one of the rolling chairs. “So we need to keep an eye on him for… “ He started but was cut off as Tim’s giggly voice filled the room.

“Bruce, Bruce… “ Tim called out causing everyone’s eyes to turn to him as he gently tugged on Bruce’s cape that was now wrapped even tighter around him then before if that was even possible. 

“Yes, Tim?” Bruce asked as he looked at his second youngest son who was looking up at him with big midnight blue eyes that sparkled much like they had when he was younger. 

“Come here it’s a secret,” Tim giggled as he pulled on Bruce’s cape once more trying to get the dark knight to kneel on the ground to him. He giggled even more and did a little victory dance as Bruce sighed and kneeled down next to Tim trying to hide the smile that wanted to spread across his face at how he was acting.

“Yes, Tim, what do you need to tell me?” Bruce asked as he looked at Tim. He could hear his other sons trying to hold back their laughter as they watched Tim lean over until his head was resting against Bruce’s chest which caused Tim to look up and Bruce to look down.

“I really, really, really like your cape,” Tim said in a loud whisper voice that wasn’t a whisper at all not from the way Dick snorted in his laughter. “It’s always so warm and it makes me feel like a burrito,” He said as he cuddled more into the black fabric making Bruce smile.

“I’m glad you like it, Tim,” Bruce in a gentle voice, the smile still on his face as he reached up and ruffled Tim’s hair carefully, his smile got even wider as he watched Tim lean into his touch.

“I like when you do that too, it feels good,” Tim said with no filter as he looked at Bruce a goofy smile on his face as Bruce kept his hand where it was and ruffled Tim’s hair a little more. Tim let out a little sigh and snuggled closer against Bruce’s chest reminding the bat-themed hero that Tim had placed all his boy weight against him.

“He’s so light,” Bruce thought to himself with some worry, noting that Damian weighed a little more than Tim, he made a mental note to try to get Tim to eat more.

“Excuse me, Sir,” A voice from the side said causing everyone’s head to turn to see Alfred standing there holding a platter in his hands with a dedicated skill that took years to learn. “But I thought young Mister Timothy would like something to eat,” He explained as he pulled the top off the platter to reveal a simple turkey sandwich and a cup of tea that would hopefully help the young man sleep.

“Alfred! Thank you so much!” Tim said as he watched the oldest member of the Wayne family walk over to him with the food. At the sight of Alfred walking towards him he sat up pulling away from Burce but the hero still stayed on the ground with him in case something were to happen. “Like really thank you so much for all that you do,” He said with a gasp looking at Alfred with big dazed eyes trying to get him to understand how grateful he was for him, Alfred, of course, knew how grateful they all were for him since they told him every day.

“You are very welcome, Mister Timothy,” Alfred said in his usual polite manner, but he let a grandfatherly smile spread to his face as he stopped in front of Tim and Bruce before carefully sitting the platter down in front of Tim who had stuck one of his arms out from the cape burrito he was in. “It does my heart good to make sure you are all cared for,” He said as he looked down at the smiling young man who used his free arm to grab one half of his sandwich before he devoured it.

This action made everyone including Damian wince slightly since they knew how Tim didn’t eat unless they reminded him.

Within a few minutes of them staring and watching, Tim had finished the first half of his sandwich and was reaching for the second half but took a few drinks of the tea he had been given before grabbing it.

As Tim finally got the other half of the sandwich in his grasp he looked up at Alfred once more with his big dazed eyes. Everyone was expecting him to thank Alfred once again, but what comes from Tim’s mouth made them all blink in slight shock.

“I love you, Alfred,” Tim said with a bright smile before he went to take a bite of his sandwich oblivious to the shocked silence around him but that silence was soon broken by Jay letting out a little snicker at Tim’s words which seemed to gain the young man’s attention. They all stopped once again as Tim looked at all of them before turning his head towards Bruce and cocking his head before looking away from him. 

“In fact, I love every single one of you!” Tim said brightly before stuffing the last of his sandwich in his mouth before letting his eyes travel to Damian. “Even you, you little psycho,” He admitted as he pointed towards his little brother who had a bright blush across his face.

As laughter filled the room Damian hid his face trying to make sure that no one saw the slight blush that was now covering his unmasked face. While the other kept laughing and smiling Dick couldn’t but move forward a smile on his lips as he kept laughing, Dick placed his hand on Tim’s head and ruffled his hair.

“We all love you too, Baby Bird,” Dick said with a bright smile as he carefully petted the top of Tim’s head.

“No, you don’t,” Tim said looking at Dick with confusion, his words causing all to go still as they looked down at him.

A tense silence filled the room as Tim's words washed over the other five that stood around him.

“What did he just say?” Jay asked as he pushed himself from where he was leaning, he looked at the others in the room who were all still staring at the drugged Tim.

“W-What are you talking about, Tim, of course, we love you,” Dick said fear and worry pumping through him as he thought about how the drug Tim was under the influence of made him speak the truth meaning he meant what he said.

“No, you don’t,” Tim said again, not even noticing the looks of horror and surprise that Bruce and Alfred were giving one another. “No one loves me,” He said, his voice now holding the happy giggling tone he had had before. “Mom and Dad didn’t love me but I loved them,” He explained as he cocked his head to the side. “I love you but you love Damian and don’t love me,” Tim said as he looked at Dick who held back a gasp that wanted to leave him.

Tim’s eyes went to Jay who had moved closer to them all while Damian stayed where he stayed seat, shocked by Tim’s words.

“I love Jay but he wants me dead,” Tim explained, causing Jay to freeze as he listened to Tim’s words. Tim pulled his eyes from Jay and then looked at Damian who was still in his chair watching the scene unfold before him. “I love Damian but he says I don’t belong here,” He explained remembering how many times when they had first met that Damian had tried to force him to leave over and over again.

A sick feeling settled in the air by the time Tim finished that sentence and before long he looked towards Bruce he was looking down at his son waiting to hear what he had done.

“And I love you that’s why I found you,” Tim explained as he looked at Bruce a smile on his face which only made the words hurt more. “You didn’t find me, I found you but you found the others meaning you didn’t need me as I needed you,” He said his words cutting deeper into Bruce’s heart.

The air was thick with sadness as they watched Tim turn away from Bruce and take another drink of his tea finishing it off after a few more sips. None of them blinked as they heard the cup be placed back on the ground.

“I love everybody but nobody loves me,” Tim said with a shrug and it was only then that they all noticed tears streaming down his face with the smile still in place on his face.

All was silent as tears dripped down Tim's face but they stopped after a few moments and he let himself lean back against Bruce.

“Tim, I… “Bruce started but was cut off as Tim yawned pulling the cape tighter around himself.

“I think it’s time Mister Timothy heads to bed,” Alfred spoke as he watched the boy pull the cape tighter around himself trying to get warm. “Don’t you agree, Master Bruce?” He asked looking at the man he thought of as his son, not wanting to stress Tim anymore than they already had.

“Of course, Alfred,” Bruce said as he nodded his head before carefully unhooking his cape from himself so Tim could keep a hold of it. “Come along Tim let’s let you get some rest,” He said gently before reaching down and plucking Tim up and holding him close. 

It was easy to pick up Tim and it wasn’t hard to carry him up the stairs to tuck him into bed which Bruce was sure he hadn’t done in many, many years if at all.

As he went to put Tim to bed he noticed the four sets up footsteps following him as he did, it seemed no one in the Wayne household wanted to be away from Tim after everything they had just heard.


	2. A Healthy Brunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning after the truth serum has worn off Tim wakes up to many surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to say sorry for how long it took to make this chapter. It took a while to figure out which member of the Wayne family I wanted to write about first and then I had to figure out how I was going to show that they loved Tim.
> 
> With Alfred, he shows his love by caring for others which for me kind of translates to making someone's favorite foods and such which is why Tim gets a smiley face breakfast with a lot of whip cream lol.
> 
> Again I am really sorry for how long this took but now that I kind of have an idea of where I'm going with this and who is next to show their love then the chapters should come much faster!
> 
> I hope you all stay Blessed and Safe.
> 
> If you wanna go follow me for some strange reason you can find me on Tumblr @paper-sunflower-lane and on Twitter @SunFlower_Paper.
> 
> Please enjoy my work and please comment, leave kudos, and subscribe because I would love to hear from you guys.
> 
> I hope you all have a Blessed morning, noon, night, or whenever you're reading this!
> 
> Hugs & Love: Sunny🌻💛🌞

A small groan left Tim as he finally woke up a slight pain in his head as he blinked trying to remove the blurriness from his eyes. The small pain in his head was a clear sign of a worse headache to come which made Tim want to bury his face in his pillows and go back to sleep. 

As much as it annoyed Tim he knew that wasn’t going to happen, he had to get up and work, not to mention he needed a debriefing of everything that had happened the night before since his mind was completely blank.

“I will count to three and then I will get up,” Tim grumbled softly to himself repeating the same saying he said to himself every morning so he could drag himself out of bed. “One…” He gritted out as he hugged his pillow to his chest. “Two…” He said as he took a deep breath and buried his face into the pillows. “Three… “ He sighed as he forced himself to sit up not caring about bringing the pillow with him as he sat up in bed.

Tim kept his eyes closed for a few seconds longer, letting the last traces of sleep melt away as he prepared to be blinded by the sun that was most likely coming from the large window of the manor. 

When he opened his eyes, that’s not what he saw. Unlike most mornings the curtains of the bedroom were pulled shut blocking out the sun, which was unusual since Alfred was the one to open them. The curtains blocking the sun made the room dim, but them being closed wasn’t what shocked Tim. What shocked the young hero was the four people that were scattered across his room.

He couldn’t help but blink a few times and rub his eyes to see if he was still asleep, but even as he pinched himself he didn’t wake up showing him that in fact Bruce, Dick, Jason, and Damian were all scattered about in his room still fast asleep.

Dick was fast asleep on the window seat next to Tim’s large bookcase, Jay was laying upside down in the chair not to far away from Dick. Bruce was laying the closet to Tim with his head resting on his arms as he leaned over the bed while Damian who most surprisingly of all was laying at the foot of Tim’s bed but to far away to actually touch him.

Tim cocked his head to the side and tried to figure out why they would all be in his room. He let his eyes travel down to his arms, chest, stomach, and legs. He didn’t feel any pain and as he felt around; he didn’t feel bandages meaning he couldn’t have been hurt too badly to warrant them watching over him or so he believed.

“What happened last night?” Tim asked softly, making sure not to make too much noise as to not wake the others. He winced as a sharp pain spread through his head, making his hand move to his dark hair to check for any marks or bleeding. It didn’t take long for him to conclude that he hadn’t hit his head but that didn’t explain the tick of pain he felt.

Tim let a sigh leave him as he gracefully pulled himself from the covers of his bed and let his feet touch the floor. He paused for a moment and wondered if he should get dressed before leaving his room, but at the sight of his family, he knew he would have to do it later since didn’t want to wake them up and find out about everything that had happened. He really didn’t feel like being lectured so early in the morning, not with how he felt.

As silently as he could Tim pushed himself up from his bed and headed towards his bedroom door letting out a sigh of relief as the door opened without a creak and silently thanked Alfred for how well he kept the manor in shape. He didn’t both closing his door worried that the click of the door closing would wake the others up so he simply walked out of his room and headed down the hall.

He tried not to shiver as his feet touch the cold wooden floor, and he tried to ignore the coldness that wrapped around him that just couldn’t be helped. The manor always got colder during the winter, in fact, because of its age it was usually one of the coldest places in Gotham, at least in Tim’s opinion, but he was always cold so he really wasn’t the best judge.

As a shiver ran down through him he was thankful, he was wearing they had changed him into a pair of pajama pants and one of his oversized hoodie. He couldn’t help but stuff his hands into his hoodie pocket, letting out a little sigh at feeling the warm fabric surround them. 

He listened to the surrounding manor, listening as the wood creaked beneath his feet as he walked towards the stairs. It was calming to hear such a familiar sound he hadn’t heard it in so long, not since he somewhat moved out of the manor and into the penthouse that Bruce had on standby. For a moment Tim let himself relax as he walked down the stairs, enjoying the wave of nostalgia that washed over him.

Nostalgia hit him once again as he made it to the bottom of the stairs to the mouth-watering smell of bacon, eggs, and most importantly Alfred’s famous pancakes. Tim couldn’t help but walk swiftly towards the dining room where the smell was coming from. 

Before he took a step inside the eating area of the manor, he forced himself to stop and look around making sure there was nothing in the area that could harm him. Tim honestly felt silly for doing such a thing but it had been some time since he been in the dining room and he didn’t want to take any chances especially if they had allowed Damian to watch “Home Alone”. Tim shivered at the idea of Damian setting traps around the manor to keep unwanted guests from their home.

“ _Would that list include me_?” Tim thought to himself, a jolt of pain striking his heart at the thought of them not wanting him. “ _No one wants you, remember_?” His mind hissed at him, making him wince as another jolt of pain filled his heart.

“Mister Timothy?” A voice called, pulling Tim from his thoughts and letting his eyes focus on none other than Alfred, who stood in front of him looking a little more than concerned. “Are you all right, my boy?” Alfred asked, his voice gentle as if he was scared Tim would break at any given moment. 

Tim was confused for a second, wondering why the man before him looked so concerned until he felt the sting in his eyes at the few streaks of wetness on his face. Tim’s eyes widened upon the realization that he was crying and quickly pulled his hands from his hoodie’s pocket to wipe them away quickly with his sleeve.

“Of course, I’m okay, Alfred,” Tim lied as he dried his face with the black sleeve of his hoodie, trying to figure out some way to explain his tears. “I just have something in my eye is all,” He lied again, biting his cheek as the words slipped from his mouth. He didn’t even believe what he had said and by the look on Alfred’s face, he didn’t believe Tim either.

Tim watched as Alfred went to speak and in a moment of panic he cut him off wanting so badly to change the subject.

“I see you made your world-famous pancakes!” Tim said, wincing as he watched Alfred blink in surprise at the loud excitement Tim had forced into his voice. “W-What’s the special occasion?” He stuttered out, trying to hide the blush that wanted to spread across his face at the embarrassment he felt.

He watched as Alfred blinked a few times before nodding his head with a small smile spreading across his face.

“No special occasion, Mister Timothy, I simply felt like making them,” Alfred said as he motioned for the young man to follow him to a seat which Tim did. “I thought they would make a delicious brunch,” The Butler explained to the young man beside him.

“Brunch?” Tim asked in confusion as he looked at the older man beside him. His head was cocked to the side much like a bird’s. “Alfred…?” Tim started as he looked around trying to tell the time but he couldn’t find the clock at the moment.

“Yes, Mister Timothy,” Alfred responded as he walked over to one of the dining room chairs and pulling it out while motioning for Tim to take his seat at the table. 

“What time is it?” Tim asked as he did as he was motioned to do, he carefully sat down at the table and was about to scoot forward when Alfred carefully pushed it forward just like he did for Damian all the time which stunned Tim for a moment.

“It is around eleven-forty, my boy,” Alfred said as he pulled his hands back from the chair with a small smile on his face.

“Eleven-forty!” Tim said with wide eyes, looking as if he had just been told that whales could fly. 

“Yes, sir,” Alfred nodded trying not to laugh at the shocked expression that was spread across the young man’s face.

“I slept that long?” Tim asked more to himself than to Alfred who had turned around to head towards the kitchen. “I never sleep this late,” He whispered to himself as Alfred disappeared into the kitchen where soon after noises could be heard coming from. “What the hell happened last night?” Tim asked his voice still in a whispering tone as looked down at the expensive oak table in front of him not noticing Alfred walking back into the room with a platter in hand.

“I’m afraid that’s not for me to tell, Mister Timothy,” Alfred informed him, causing Tim’s head to snap back up to look at him. There was a blush spread across Tim’s face since he hadn’t meant to cuss in front of Alfred. “That’s for Master Bruce to inform you of,” He explained as he set the platter down on the table before pushing it in front of Tim. “For now, we must get some food in you,” He said in a tone that everyone knew meant there was no room for arguing so Tim simply nodded his head.

“Thank you very much, Alfred,” Tim said with a soft smile before he turned to look down at the food that had been placed in front of him.

Tim nearly wanted to laugh and cry as he saw the breakfast before and saw how much it looked like the breakfast Alfred use to make him when he spent the night at the manor when he was much younger only the portion size was bigger. There were about four pancakes smothered in syrup with whip cream on top, there was toast with apple jelly on a little plate next to the pancakes, and on the medium-sized plate, there were two fried eggs and three strips of bacon formed into a smiley face. Alongside all of that was a large mug with whip cream piled on top of it with some form of brown powder on top of it.

“You’re very welcome, young sir,” Alfred said with a soft smile, as he watched how Tim unknowingly smiled a bright, happy smile of his own. “Since you were staying the night I thought it would be nice to revisit an old favorite,” He informed the second youngest as he watched Tim reach for the large mug.

“It looks amazing!” Tim said brightly as he held the mug with both hands as to not spill it on himself or on the clean floor. The moment he took a sip his eyes went wide as instead of coffee he tasted chocolate.

“I’m sorry to inform you, my boy, but we ran out of coffee just the other day and I have yet to acquire more,” Alfred explains upon seeing Tim’s surprised but not unhappy expression. “I took the liberty of making hot chocolate instead since I figured it would be better for a cold winter’s morning,” He said as he watched Tim take a long sip from his mug.

“As usual you’re right, Alfred,” Tim said with a bright smile enjoying the warmth that spread through him once he finished his drink of hot chocolate. “Your hot chocolate is better than any coffee by far,” He said as he looked at Alfred before carefully picking up his fork to begin eating his food.

Tim was stopped from taking a bite of his eggs when he felt a gentle but firm hand being placed on his shoulder causing him to look up at Alfred once more. He looked at Alfred with wonder trying to figure out if something was wrong since the look in Alfred’s eyes was both gentle and sad.

“Mister Timothy, You know I care for you, correct?” Alfred asked as he kept his hand on Tim’s shoulder. “I know I might seem slightly strict at times but that is only because I care for you all so much,” He explained softly as he gripped Tim’s shoulder a little tighter.

“Of course, I know that, Alfred,” Tim said blinking in surprise as he looked at the butler before him the man that had taken care of all of them for such a long time. “And I would be a little worried if you weren’t somewhat strict,” He explained with a slight laugh as he kept his eyes on Alfred. “I mean you take care of a family of vigilantes,” Tim laughed once more watching as Alfred’s face softened.

“Very good,” Alfred said as he gave Tim’s shoulder another squeeze looking down at him as he searched for any sign of disbelief. 

“I care a lot about you too, Alfred,” Tim said happily as he watched Alfred smile a soft smile once more before pulling his hand away from his shoulder.

“I know, Mister Timothy,” Alfred said softly in the grandfatherly voice that he sometimes used when he wanted to get a sensitive point across. “I know,” He said as he reached up and carefully ran his hand through Tim’s dark locks of hair fixing the mess of curls slightly as he did so. “Best go back to eating your food now, we don’t want it to get cold,” He said as he felt Tim lean into his touch for a moment before they both pulled apart letting Tim turn back to his food so that he could eat.

Tim couldn’t smile as he picked up his fork that still had a piece of his eggs in the end. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Alfred heading back towards the kitchen, and Tim couldn’t help but feel the same loving warmth like when he had drunk the hot chocolate fill him up once more.

The peace that had surrounded the both of them was suddenly broken though just as Tim took the first bite of his food, as a loud, panicked scream came from upstairs in the form of.

_**“WHERE THE FUCK IS, TIM!?!”** _

Tim gulped in surprise, swallowing the first bite of his brunch as he looked up to the ceiling, a knot forming in his stomach as he heard four pairs of feet race around above him.

The others were wide awake and from what he could tell they were looking for him.


	3. Family Brunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred forces everyone to sit down and eat together for the first time in months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's be real Bruce may own the house and the company but Alfred raised him so he's the boss. no one can disobey Alfred especially not when he uses the fatherly/grandfatherly tone that he has and you'll have to pry the headcanon that Alfred eats with the entire family from my cold hands.
> 
> I'm sorry if this chapter is a little shorter than the other two but I wanted a chapter to show how everyone but Alfred is awkward with their feelings lol.
> 
> I hope you all stay Blessed and Safe.
> 
> If you wanna go follow me for some strange reason you can find me on Tumblr @paper-sunflower-lane and on Twitter @SunFlower_Paper.
> 
> Please enjoy my work and please comment, leave kudos, and subscribe because I would love to hear from you guys.
> 
> I hope you all have a Blessed morning, noon, night, or whenever you're reading this!
> 
> Hugs & Love: Sunny🌻💛🌞

The sound of four pairs of feet stampeding down the stairs made Tim’s stomach turn and tie into knots, his fingers had tightened around the fork he still held and he felt his breathing pick up. As much as Tim wanted to move; he could do nothing but stay frozen to his seat as his mind raced with how to escape and hide before they spotted him. 

His first thought was to hide underneath the table, he quickly dismissed that idea since it seemed childish plus they could easily find him like that. His next thought went to the rafters above him but he knew that if he could get up there than everyone in his family could get up there just the same as him.   
As Tim tried to think of another hiding spot, all thoughts of hiding were thrown out the window as he looked down at his brunch that he had barely been touched.

Just from the look of the brunch, they would know he was still in the manor since Alfred didn’t eat his food in any way he had fixed Tim’s food. From how he liked his eggs to how he plated the food, everything was different.

Tim’s eyes were glued to the brunch Alfred had made him and if he was being honest with himself, he wanted to scream. Something that he believed to be made of love from the man he saw as his grandfather was going to be his downfall.

As the stampede of feet got closer to him, he took a deep breath knowing that he was going to have to finish his food quickly or not at all. He would need to be debriefed on everything that had happened, and then he would have to make up for the few hours he lost. Tim stared at the egg eyes of the food face that Alfred had made him and suddenly felt like crying. 

He knew it was silly to cry about not being able to finish his food, but for some reason, he was emotional today. He wondered once again about what happened last night to make him this way since he was usually better at hiding his emotions just like everyone in the Wayne Family was.

“So much for time to figure things out,” Tim whispered to himself as he heard the sound of wood creaking and the sound of feet stepping onto the first floor of the manor and then splitting up. 

Tim wondered why they all sounded so panicked and thought that he might have tried to harm someone while he was out. That thought made Tim’s stomach drop, and it made a chill go up his spine. No matter how upset he was with his family, he would never want to hurt them. 

“Timmy?” A voice said from behind him, making Tim stiffen as his knuckles went white from how tightly he was now holding his fork. Tim slowly turned his head to see Dick standing in the doorway of the dining room, a look of relief washing over what Tim thought might be worry. “He’s in here!” Dick suddenly called out, making Tim jump in surprise at hearing his oldest brother yell. “I found him, he’s in the dining room,” He called out once more and Tim couldn’t explain the sudden flash of betrayal at hearing Dick’s words.

Any words that Tim wanted to blurt out died in his throat as he heard the others head towards the dining room where he was. He had no time to hide, and he had no time to think about what to do or what to say when they were all in the same room. It suddenly hit the second youngest that it had been a while since they will all together in a room that wasn’t The Cave.

“I told you he didn’t leave the manor,” A youthful voice said, bringing Tim from his thoughts once again to see Damian who was now in the doorway with Dick. “He didn’t have his clothes,” Damian said from where he was standing behind Dick, well more like hiding behind the oldest’s legs, but that didn’t matter.

“ _No,_ ” Tim’s mind whispered softly to him as he noticed Bruce and Jason standing somewhat beside Dick and behind him. “ _No, it does matter_ ,” His mind whispered as he watched the other four members of his family who were standing just as still as him. 

“Thanks, Bat Brat, we got that,” Jason said as he looked down Damian but there was no bite to his words as he said them. Tim watched as Jason looked away from Damian ignoring the glare he got from the youngest in favor of focusing his eyes on Tim. 

Tim looked at them all, his mind starting to race as he noticed how stiff and nervous they seemed.

“ _It matters because Damian doesn’t hide_ ,” Tim thought as his eyes quickly went to the youngest Wayne who looked nervous if Tim could believe that. “ _What the hell did I do?_ ” Tim silently asked himself, wondering if he had hurt someone while he was blacked out. 

Panic began to run through him and he let his eyes trail over all of them. He was looking for any signs of injury, any signs at all. He was looking for bandages and looking to see if any of them were favoring a certain leg or arm. He felt a small wave of calm wash over him as he noted that none of them were hurt, at least not from what he could tell.

The silence that surrounded them all made Tim stiffen even more and it was only now that he noticed that he was still turned at an odd angle in his chair to look at his other family members.

Tim wanted to say something, he wanted to make some sort of comment that would break the tension in the room, but his mind was blank as he stayed where he was. As he looked at the four standing in the doorway he could tell each of them was trying to figure out what to do now that they had found him and made sure he hadn’t escaped.

Tim flinched as that thought filled his mind, noting how it made him sound like a wild animal ready to attack at any given moment, which only made the thought of him hurting his family scare him even more.

“H-Hi,” Tim finally stuttered out after another moment of the five of them staring at one another.

“Hi,” Bruce finally spoke, giving an awkward wave as if it was his first time meeting Tim. That didn’t make a bit of sense though because Tim was one of his sons and because Bruce or Brucie as he was called at parties could make friends with anyone just with a single smile.

All was silent once more after Bruce’s small greeting, leaving them all staring at one another again and causing the surrounding tension to become even more awkward.

As the silence stretched on Bruce cleared his throat causing all attention to be on him once more as he went to speak.

“Tim, I… “ Bruce said trying to figure out how to start the conversation about everything that had happened last night. His words were interrupted by Alfred walking through the dining room doorway that led to the kitchen.

“Ah, wonderful, you’re all here,” Alfred said as he sat a rather large platter down on the dining room table. The platter was covered in plates of food, each the same as Tim’s but at the same time different. “Now we can have a proper family brunch together. We haven’t had one of those in a long time,” He said with an edge to his tone, an edge that no one disobeyed upon hearing it, an edge that said, “Don’t argue with me, I am the boss” and everyone knew it was true.

“Alfred, maybe I should…” Tim started trying hard to remove himself from the room as to not make anyone uncomfortable but Alfred was quick to cut him off just like he had done with Bruce.

“Wait till everyone else gets their food before you eat?” Alfred questioning, knowing full well that that’s not what Tim was trying to say. “I think not Mister Timothy, no one under my roof gets a cold meal unless it’s supposed to be cooked like that,” He stated before pulling his gaze away from Tim and looking towards the four at the door. “Now the rest of you come sit down and I’ll be right back with the other drinks,” He said with a nod before turning around and heading back towards the doorway that led to the kitchen.

All was silent as they watched him walk away, but they blinked when he stopped at the door and turned to look at the other four. 

“Now, please,” Alfred ordered with a nod before turning his head forward and walking into the kitchen.

Tim watched as Alfred disappeared into the kitchen and then watched with wide eyes as the others quickly made their way over to the dining table. The sound of chairs pulling out and shuffling forward pulled him from his thoughts to where he found himself surrounded by the other members of the Wayne Family.

Bruce sat at the head of the table next to Tim, Jay sat on Tim’s other side while Damian sat across from him with Dick sitting next to him right in front of Tim and on the other side of Bruce. 

Tim couldn’t say he was unsurprised by how fast they moved, but it surprised him that they were all surrounding him.

“ _That’s good right?_ ” Tim thought to himself, looking down at his plate as the others started to pass around their food to one another. “ _They wouldn't sit near me if they thought I was a threat_ ,” He thought, trying to sort his mind out as he stuck a fork in his pancakes before taking a small bite of them.

They were all silent when Alfred came back with the drinks and his own food. Tim watched as they passed the drinks around before Alfred sat down at the other end of the table facing Bruce. It was only when Alfred was finally sitting that they all really started eating.

Even as Tim kept his eyes on his plate while he ate he could feel the eyes of his family staring at him, but whenever he lifted his head ever so slightly to look everyone’s eyes were some place else. 

The sound of quiet talking filled the air as Tim took a bite of his bacon, trying to hide the fact that he was eating a little faster than the others so he could leave before they finished their food.

As Tim kept his eyes on his brunch, he didn’t notice that Jason was eating just as fast as him having caught on to what Tim was planning to do.


	4. A Well Known Hiding Spot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim tries to hide in the kitchen in hopes of clearing his head and in hopes of figuring out what to do next.
> 
> He's interrupted by an impatient Jay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry Tim is fine Jay's not going to hurt him he just got tired of waiting for his little brother lol.
> 
> I am so, so, so sorry that it's been so long since I updated! I honestly didn't mean for it to take this long! I've been extremely busy lately with making Christmas gifts and writing for NaNoWriMo 2020 it's just been a lot.
> 
> I'm also sorry that this chapter is shorter than the others I wanted it to be longer but sometimes chapters don't work out like we want them to, unfortunately.
> 
> Again I'm so sorry and I do hope that you all enjoy this chapter!
> 
> I hope you all stay Blessed and Safe.
> 
> If you wanna go follow me for some strange reason you can find me on Tumblr @paper-sunflower-lane and on Twitter @SunFlower_Paper.
> 
> Please enjoy my work and please comment, leave kudos, and subscribe because I would love to hear from you guys.
> 
> I hope you all have a Blessed morning, noon, night, or whenever you're reading this!
> 
> Hugs & Love: Sunny🌻💛🌞

Tim quietly sat down at the small table inside the kitchen near the window that looked over the garden, the same table that Alfred used when he needed a brief break from them all. Tim could remember the first time he had found Alfred tucked away in the corner reading one of his favorite books as something cooked. When Tim had caught Alfred’s eyes the butler had made a small shushing sound before bribing Tim with a cookie before sending him on his way.

A small smile crossed Tim’s face as the memory filled his mind it had been a small secret between the two of them. Now that he was older Tim knew that everyone knew about Alfred’s spot, but he couldn’t deny that it had been so much fun believing they had gotten away with hiding something from Bruce. 

For yet another time that morning, Tim felt tears start to well up in his eyes, but he forced them away as he pressed his forehead against the cold glass of the window. He looked out at the snow-covered grounds of the manor, ignoring the small shiver that ran through him as he did so.

As he forced the tears away, he felt his teary smile turn into a slightly guilty frown.

Tim felt a bit guilty since he had scarfed down the food that Alfred had worked so hard to make for him before abruptly pushing himself out of his seat and heading into the kitchen which is where he was hiding at the moment. 

He knew Alfred had worked hard on his breakfast, just like he worked hard with everything in the manor. It wasn’t that he was ungrateful for the food Alfred had made for him, in fact, Tim was overjoyed to eat Alfred’s cooking again since that was the first home-cooked meal he had had in a while. 

It was just that Tim couldn’t stand being at the dining room table with them all as if it was the most normal thing on the face of the Earth. It had been nearly a year since Tim had sat at that dining room table with them all to have a meal, and though nothing had truly gone wrong, it was still tense and slightly unpleasant. 

This time hadn’t been any different if he was being honest, and he still felt like he could feel their eyes looking at him. For a moment Tim wondered if he turned his head to look at the wall that now separated him from the others if that feeling would go away just like it had when he lifted his head up at the table.

Tim breathed as he let his eyes slide shut, the warmth of Alfred’s cooking making him tired once again. He knew he needed to get up and go to his room to get dressed so he could leave, but he also knew that Jay was waiting for him.

Tim had seen Jay eating just as fast as him before he left for the kitchen to hideaway. Tim was sure that Jay was waiting for him, which made the young hero uneasy since he had no clue what his older brother wanted. Tim was still scared that he had hurt them in some way while he had been knocked out. 

That thought made bile rise up Tim’s throat since he never wanted to hurt his family in any way.

Tim lost himself in his thoughts as he tried to remember what all happened last night. He ran through everything that his mind could remember, but all it brought up at the moment was bits and pieces of his patrol from last night and a fight. 

Horror ran through Tim as fear of the fight being between him and his family came to his mind. Tim tried to force more memories to come to him but the harder he tried the muddier the memories got.

Tim closed his eyes a little tighter hoping if he focused hard enough maybe that would cause everything to become clear but nothing seemed to work as the memories remained a mess.

As he remained lost in his thoughts trying to make sense of them Tim didn’t hear the quiet click of shoes against the marble floor of the kitchen. To distracted by those thoughts Tim jumped as a warm, familiar hand pressed against his forehead causing his eyes to fly open as he looked up.

Tim blinked in complete awe as he looked at Jay who was before him with a worried crease between his eyes as he looked down at his second youngest brother. Tim felt like a gapping fish as he looked up at his brother who still had a hand against his forehead.

“Jay?” Tim asked or yelped as he moved to sit up straight as he looked at his brother who pulled his hand away from his head. Tim felt a bit of sadness from losing the warmth his brother’s hand gave off for a short moment.

“Sorry, Timmers didn’t mean to give you a fright,” Jay laughed as he let his hand fall back to his side before he moved to sit down in the other chair across from Tim. “Just making sure you weren’t feeling sick or anything like that,” He said as he looked at Tim with his trademark smirk.

“Y-You didn’t,” Tim said with a slightly forced smile he tried not to wince at the lie knowing he didn’t even believe his words.

“Sure,” Jay laughed again while rolling his eyes, Tim watched as he leaned against the wall match like Tim had been doing before. He couldn’t help but note that his brother’s laugh sounded a little bitter and hallow which was something he hadn’t heard in a long time.

He hadn’t heard that laugh for a few years and it made a small amount of worry twist itself around his heart.

“So what are you doing in here all by yourself?” Jay asked the back of his head leaned against the window as he waited for Tim to answer his question. “You know Alfred doesn’t really like to share his hiding spot,” He said a smile in his voice since everyone in the manor knew that Alfred truly didn’t mind sharing his spot unless he truly needed a break.

“I just needed a moment to get my thoughts together,” Tim answered honestly knowing there was no point in lying since all of them could almost always tell when the other was lying. “ _ Perks of growing up with the world’s greatest detective, _ ” He thought as he looked at Jay who seemed a bit stiffer than before.

“And what did you get together?” Jay asked his voice becoming slightly sterner as he kept his relaxed pose.

“Not a lot,” Tim said with a shrug and an awkward laugh truly not knowing what he could tell Jay and what he couldn’t tell Jay. He had never truly had a real conversation with the other man which sounded so messed up even to Tim since the two were brothers and had been for a long time.

“Well, what little bit of information did you get?” Jay asked seeming to want to know everything that Tim knew. Tim couldn’t tell if it was because he honestly wanted to know or if it was because he was trying to figure out if Tim was a threat. 

The thought of hurting his family came to Tim’s mind once again and it made him want to scream.

“All I remember is patrol and what I think was a fight,” Tim answered honestly knowing there was no use in lying. “I can’t remember who I was fighting,” He added while looking at Jay who still didn’t move from his relaxed pose against the wall but Tim could see that he was still somewhat stiff.

“Don’t worry, Bruce will find that out,” Jay promised as he sat up in his seat a flash of anger running through his eyes making Tim stiffen up as if he was ready to run at any moment if he needed to.

“What do you mean?” Tim asked as he cocked his head to the side much like an actual bird would do. Tim honestly didn’t know what Jay was getting at but his words made him a little uneasy.

“You know Bruce doesn’t let anyone get away with hurting his family,” Jay said with a shrug as he turned his head to face Tim fully. “I mean the last guy that hurt one of us ended up in the hospital for a good week or so before being sent to jail,” He said as he reached up and ran a hand through his hair.

Tim knew what Jay was saying was true they all knew that Burce would never kill anyone but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t beat them to a bloody pulp for hurting someone he loved and cared for. They all knew that was because of what Joker did to Jay and he knew that Bruce had never forgiven himself for that horrible night.

“ _ Does that include you? _ ” Tim’s mind whispered to him causing him to wince slightly as a sharp pain went through his heart. “Of course it does,” He thought to himself as he let his hands ball into fists. “ _ Are you sure? _ ” His mind whispered in an almost taunting voice that made Tim feel like he was going to be sick. 

He tried to ignore the fact that he wasn’t sure that Bruce would do the same for him and he tried to ignore the fact that he honestly believed he wasn’t apart of this family like he used to be or if he truly ever was.

“You good, Baby Bird?” Jay asked pulling Tim from his thoughts causing the second youngest to turn his head back to the second oldest who was waiting for him to answer.

“Y-Yeah,” Tim stuttered out as he uncurled his fists so they laid flat once again. “Just got lost in my own mind,” He said with a sharp, hollow laugh as he shrugged his shoulders as the other man stared at him.

“I see… “ Jay said causing Tim to bite back a laugh from how much his older brother sounded just like Bruce at that moment. It was always strange when some of Bruce showed in them but it was to be expected since he raised them.

Silence settled over the two for a moment as Jay seemed to be the one lost in his own thoughts this time instead of Tim. For a second Tim wondered if he should leave since it was honestly the perfect Tim to escape but something in the back of his mind told him that he needed to stay.

So Tim stayed there and waited carefully tugging at the black sleeves of his hoodie as he waited for Jay to say something and after a few more minutes when his brother never did Tim finally spoke.

“Jay?” Tim asked gaining his older brother’s attention causing the man to look at him with something in his eyes that Tim couldn’t pinpoint.

Before Tim could say another word Jay was suddenly up on his feet and standing in front of Tim, a hand on his arm as he pulled the younger up in a strong but gentle hold. Tim stumbled a little as Jay pulled him up but surprisingly his brother waited until he got his footing so he wouldn’t fall.

“Jay?” Tim tried again as his brother let go of his shoulder but instead of moving away he wrapped his arm around Tim and started leading him towards the exit of the kitchen.

“Come on, Baby Bird, Jay said as he pulled Tim who was still in a bit of shock along with him. 

“W-What are we doing?” Tim asked as he allowed Jay knowing that from the sound of his older brother’s voice that he didn’t really have a say in whether or not he got to stay where he was.

“We’re going upstairs,” Jay explained as he let his arm around Tim loosen a little. It was enough to give Tim room to move but not enough for him to pull away.

“Why?” Tim asked wondering what Jay had planned since it was clear he wasn’t going to do what he needed to do right here.

“Because there’s something I need to do and we need to have a talk,” Jay explained as they walked out of the kitchen and into the dining room where not surprisingly the others were still there waiting for them. 

Bruce stood up the moment he saw the two a worried look on his face as he opened his mouth in hopes of saying something. Before he could even get the words out Jay stopped him with his own.

“The Baby Bird and I are heading upstairs for some brotherly bonding,” Jay explained as he pulled Tim a little closer making the younger blink up at him in surprise. “I have no clue when the brotherly bonding will be over so unless someone’s dying don’t bother us,” He explained in his usual gruff manner.

All Jay got in response to that was a quick nod from Bruce before Gotham’s hero looked at Tim with a surprisingly soft and reassuring smile.

Tim barely had time to catch the smile Bruce sent his way as Jay turned them both around to head towards the stairs so they could head upstairs where Tim had no clue about what was going to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I know it's Christmas time but I wanted to tell everyone about the Collection/Prompt Challenge that I created called "Prompts For The Unknown".
> 
> This is basically a horror-themed and mystery-themed Collection/Prompt Challenge. The prompts and stories that are posted there can be funny, scary, romantic, everything like that but it to be horror-themed or mystery-themed.
> 
> There are a few more rules but I'll let you all check that out for yourself since I don't want to ramble on. The link to the Collection/Prompt Challenge is down below so please go check it out!
> 
> Prompts For The Unknown Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Prompts_For_The_Unknown
> 
> I'd love it if you guys joined! I've already posted a few prompts there.
> 
> I hope you all stay Blessed and Safe.
> 
> If you wanna go follow me for some strange reason you can find me on Tumblr @paper-sunflower-lane and on Twitter @SunFlower_Paper.
> 
> Please enjoy my work and please comment, leave kudos, and subscribe because I would love to hear from you guys.
> 
> I hope you all have a Blessed morning, noon, night, or whenever you're reading this!
> 
> Hugs & Love: Sunny🌻💛🌞


End file.
